Lurberas/News
November 16 Government freezes assets associated with FASK Around K12 million worth of assets associated with FASK were frozen Monday afternoon, the government has announced. FASK is the Murserist militant group that claimed responsibility for the October 28th bombing in Jureta that killed 10 people. 10 Murserist group claims responsibility for Jureta attack After nearly two weeks since the attack in Jureta killed 10 people and injured over 50 others, a Murserist militant group sent three videos to the three largest news networks in Lurberas in which they claim to be responsible for planting the bomb. The group, calling themselves the Faithful Army of Setogh and Kolaan, said the attack in Jureta will be the first of many throughout Lurberas in order to "Secure independence for ourselves and for Murserist children." Murserists Represented immediately condemned the group. Selana Tosem told the press "Setogh never commands one to kill, especially not for him" The United Left nor the LFU have commented on this revelation. The Lurberan National Police said they are looking into the credibility of the video but stated "Any threat should be taken seriously" October 28 BREAKING:' Explosion in Jureta kills 10, injures over 50' Ten people are dead and over fifty are in the hospital after an explosion, apparently caused by a bomb, rocked the city of Jureta, Diena Province, Wednesday morning. The explosion occurred at around 9:22 AM LST near Tuealls shopping district. Among the dead are a 11-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy. The Prime Minister personally phoned the family of the victims to offer his condolences and ordered Lurberan flags on all government buildings be flown at half-mast. Sesen Murals, the mayor of Jureta, stated in a press conference "We will find whoever is responsible and bring them to justice. We will not be terrorized. We are not afraid and we will stand strong." Police say they have several suspects but are declining to name them while pending further investigation. If you have any information regarding who may be responsible, please call the Lurberan National Police at A-222-00-000 or go to www.nationalpolice.lr/report. You can remain anonymous. 20 Negotiations between Muthold and union begin over a month since strike began Representatives from Muthold Steel and Lurberan Steel Manufacturers United met Tuesday afternoon to negotiate pay raises and other things. Muthold hopes to end a month-long strike that has increased the cost of steel in Lurberas by 7%, cutting into Muthold's sales. Muthold has been relying on temporary and 'under-the-table' workers in order to keep basic operations open, but CEO Janks Frins says his company cannot expect to stay healthy the longer the strike continues. For the past five years, Muthold has been paying the majority of its workers a standard K15.22 per hour wage, but the LSMU says that increased costs of living have made that pay unrealistic and began demanding a K4 increase after its contract with Muthold expired in September. While Muthold dismissed a wage increase initially, earlier this week it said a pay raise will "Definitely be on the table". In the spirit of compromise, LSMU also said it'd be open to a smaller wage increase or other "Reasonable accommodations". 19 Opinion: The United Left's union with MR proves it is no party for the LGBT community Written by Sesana Guteron On May 17, 2015, after years of self-loathing, anxiety, frustration, and confusion, I finally came out to my friends and family that I am a lesbian. Less than a week later, my boss called me up to his office to notify me that I was no longer working for his company which I had been with for five years. My record as a hard-working employee, who got along wonderfully with her co-workers and customers, who never missed a day in her life, received two raises meant nothing as my sexuality posed a 'potential distraction' in the workplace. Still in shock, I filed a complaint to the Taket Bureau of Labor only to be told that in this province, and in every other in Lurberas, an employer can dismiss an employee for any reason, including their sexuality. I've been called a dyke, a faggot, told I just "Need to find the right man", almost disowned from my family, but this incident proved to be the final straw. I resolved to end discrimination against others like me, anyway I could. The Prime Minister's party was the only one fighting for our right to marry just as any straight couple can, so I campaigned and donated what little I could spare (as I am still unemployed). Election day had passed and I was disappointed at the UL's performance, but it was nothing compared to my reaction when I heard the Prime Minister said he would unite his party with the bigoted Murserists. No leftist who claims to support LGBT rights ever align themselves with the Murserists. This is an utter betrayal the Prime Minister has committed against his constituents. It disgusts me that he would even ponder the idea of uniting with the party whose leader said that gays are "Slaves of Pesbir" and that AIDS/HIV are our divine punishment from their bigoted god. The Prime Minister says assisting the lower-classes of our society should be our top priority, and that the Murserists also believe in this ideal, but their vicious hate speech and disdain for sexual minorities who face constant persecution in a supposed modern country negate any sort of compassion or sense of empathy they may harbor. And the fact the Prime Minister is willing to ally himself with this kind of people shows that he does not at all care about the sufferings of my community, only what will attain him more power and more votes in the next election. He has abandoned us with his unholy union, so we must fight for our rights ourselves. 15 Parties confirm, UL-MR coalition deal reached, Polen Humaras will stay as Prime Minister In a joint press conference held Wednesday afternoon, the United Left and Murserists Represented confirmed an earlier report that the two had agreed to a 'super-coalition'. Prime Minister Humaras said "We look forward to working with Mrs. Tosem's party in order to create a strong government that serves the people for the 2016-17 term". 13 Source: UL and MR agree to coalition, Humaras will remain Prime Minister An anonymous source told us Tuesday afternoon that the United Left and Murserists Represented have agreed to a 'super-coalition' which will allow Humaras to remain Prime Minister. This report has yet to be confirmed by either party and neither could be reached for a comment. Last Friday, MR leaders told the Left that they will join the coalition only if MR leader Selana Tosem is elected Prime Minister. If this report is true, then it would seem the UL was able to broker a deal that allows them to keep Polen Humaras in power. LFU deputy leader Charen Somor said her party is "Definitely prepared" for whatever comes out of this UL-MR partnership. More information will be published as it becomes available. 9 MR throws Left a curveball, says it will join coalition but only if Tosem becomes Prime Minister After several rounds of negotiation, Murserists Represented told the United Left that it will join the so-called 'super-coaltion' only if Selena Tosem is elected Prime Minister. While conventionally held a few days after a general election, the House of Delegates has postponed the vote for Prime Minister while the majority-UL decides if it will join MR for the 2016-17 term, although the Constitution gives the House 30 days to choose a Prime Minister. The UL did not comment on MR's new requirement and more rounds of negotiations are scheduled to be held next week. The LFU has been watching the situation closely. If the UL accepts this demand, it could allow the LFU to sneak in Zeteran Lomos as Prime Minister instead, if the UL vote is not unified. Prime Minister Humaras would need to ensure each Leftist delegate is on board before moving forward. 5 Hung chamber: UL loses majority, looking into coalition with MR The House of Delegates became hung as the United Left coalition lost its majority Monday after the last polls closed. Prime Minister Humaras said he was "Extremely disappointed" in the results, with UL losing 24 seats. The LFU and MR fared much better gaining 15 and 11 seats respectively. The Prime Minister spoke on the phone with MR leader Selana Tonsem, reportedly discussing a possible UL-MR 'super coalition' in order to create a stronger government for the 2016-17 term. If the parties did unite, it would only put them 1 seat higher than the UL's previous mandate of 118 seats. Selana Tonsem confirmed her party was "Interested" in a coalition with the left. Social issues is a large hurdle they would have to overcome, however. The UL has recently begun campaigning for the legalization of same-sex marriage in Lurberas, something MR is extremely opposed to. A possible compromise comes from fiscal issues. MR supported the recent petrol tax that Parliament approved on September 21st and has been supportive of other welfare initiatives the UL has undertaken. LFU leader Zeteran Lomos said he hoped the LFU would perform better but is "Satisfied" with the results. With tonight's gains, he hopes his party can urge the left into more compromises, including a proposed income tax cut aimed at stimulating the recovering economy. 3 MR projected to see some gains as election approaches BELZEKU - With the general election only two days away, MR was projected Saturday to gain at least five seats in the House of Delegates on October 5th. Increasing support for same-sex marriage, which MR is fiercely opposed to, is thought to be the cause for the increase of support for the party. Despite the United Left's support of same-sex marriage, some Murserists have decided to try their luck with the Coalition. 37% of polled Murserists stated they felt 'Safety nets for minorities' was the most important issue affecting them. The UL has been pushing for more state-benefits to marginalized groups as well as anti-discrimination measures. Despite the government's new-found allies in the Murserist community, the LFU has become a worrying threat, poised to potentially take the Prime Minister's seat if all goes well for them on October 5th. General polls put LFU support at 41%, up 5% since last month while support for the UL has declined about 3%. Still, Prime Minister Humaras said he is confident his party will win another term, hoping to use the Muthold strikes to his advantage. September 24 Pressure increases on government to legalize same-sex marriage BELZEKU - Pro-LGBT demonstrations were held outside the Parliament Building Thursday as thousands petitioned the United Left government to legalize same-sex marriage in Lurberas. Currently, it is impossible for a gay couple to be wed in the country after the Taket legislature's attempt to legalize it last year was struck down as unconstitutional. A judge ruled that marriage licenses are a nation-wide issue and no province can unilaterally begin offering licenses that the central government does not recognize. While the United Left coalition wholly supports legalization, there is some skepticism from the Lurberan Family Union and staunch opposition from Murserists Represented. The Mayor of Zeitu, Kelena Ionk, said same-sex marriage will never be recognized in the city as long as she is in charge. While MR only controls 16 seats in the House of Delegates, it controls the vast majority of seats in the Irlabat provincial legislature and it is expected the province will attempt to block any legalization effort by the central government. 21 Drums beat and slogans chanted as three Muthold plants go on strike PERSTENA - Just as planned, workers represented by Lurberan Steel Manufacturers United refused to work today, beginning the first day of what many anticipate to be a long strike. Muthold reported as already having brought in temporary non-union workers to keep some operations open. LSMU has been demanding a higher wage since its contract with Muthold Steel expired last month. Muthold says that a decline in productivity and higher overhead costs are preventing a higher wage from being possible. A spokeswoman from Muthold said that the company would be "Willing to look into other means of increasing compensation" but did not mention anything specific. The Social Democratic Party and the Marxist Union voiced their support for the strike and Prime Minister Humaras said "Every worker ought to receive a living wage and its very inspiring seeing workers take their future into their own hands" 19 Petrol tax heads to Parliament BELZEKU - A bill that would impose a 5% tax on all sales of petrol in Lurberas for automotive usage will be voted on Monday. The new tax has been spearheaded by the United Left coalition for the past four months, saying it will help encourage commuters to take more cleaner methods of transportation. The revenue raised from this new tax will be put into the National Bus Service which hopes to lower its standard fare to only K1.00 from K2.35. Opposition to the bill comes from the Lurberan Family Union (LFU) who argue that the tax will most adversely affect low-income earners. "Increasing the overhead burden will encourage companies to raise their prices, which will adversely affect low-income families who cannot afford alternative transportation" said LFU deputy leader Charen Somor. If passed, the tax would come into effect the following month and remain so for five years at which time it will be reviewed as to whether it should be increased, decreased, or abolished. 17 Steel workers threaten strike if higher wages don't come soon PERSTENA - Lurberan Steel Manufacturers United (LSMU) has said it plans to hold a strike at three Muthold Steel plants next Monday if the company does not agree to a wage increase by then. The labor union, which has been representing steel workers at Muthold and other companies since 1966, has been demanding a higher wage since the labor contract it signed with Muthold expired last month. LSMU wants its workers to receive K19.35 per hour for the next contract term, a K4.12 increase from the previous wage of K15.22. Muthold has rejected the demand, citing decreased productivity and increased overhead costs. The union says that K15.22 per hour is no longer viable for most workers, many of whom are facing the possibility of taking state benefits. "The cost of living has become too high to justify a K15 wage. A four kiru increase is a generous demand" said a LSMU spokesman. Under current law, if the workers do strike, Muthold cannot fire them unless it can prove to a judge that such a strike is unwarranted. Experts say it is unlikely Muthold would take them to court. Muthold has not commented on the situation and declined our request for a statement. Our economic analyst Keren Loson tells us that the price of steel could increase roughly 6% if the union goes through with the strike. That number would certainly go up the longer the strike continues. Muthold is only one of four steel manufacturers in Lurberas and one of them is also represented by LSMU.